It was only two minutes and 56 seconds into the game last night when Jordin Tootoo pasted Mathieu Roy into the boards.

"It was his first shift," said Lowe, who would watch his team lose 4-1 to the Nashville Predators to go four games below .500 with the next four on the road.

Twenty-five seconds of ice time and Roy, who was out with a concussion at the end of last year and with another one at the start of this season, was out with what coach Craig MacTavish said was another possible concussion and for sure a separated left shoulder.

"You hate seeing that. Roy has definitely had a lot of bad luck," said Tom Gilbert, one of the five remaining survivors on the black and blueline.

The game before it was Matt Greene, out with a broken ankle. Sheldon Souray was first. Then Joni Pitkanen.

That's four.

"This is unbelievable," said Lowe.

You'd wonder maybe if Jason Smith put the curse on the defencemen for trading him.

But this goes back to the final 20 games of last year when Steve Staios, Daniel Tjarnqvist, Gilbert and Roy were out at the same time.

They had to call up a junior, Sebastian Bisaillon from Val-d'Or for two games on an emergency basis. There was no one left.

Bryan Young was playing down in Stockton when he was hauled to the front of the bus and told he was going up. He figured that meant to Wilkes-Barre.

They told him he wasn't leaving California. The Oilers were on a West Coast road trip in Anaheim.

Lowe had nine defencemen here.

"We thought we had enough," he said.

"We weren't keeping nine because we were gun-shy," said Lowe, who will wait until Springfield plays tonight to decide whether to bring up Young or Danny Syvret.

The plan, it would seem obvious, was to trade a couple when a team found themselves in injury trouble. That team turned out to be Edmonton.

"I don't remember anything like this. It sure didn't when I was playing.

None of us got hurt that much," he said, forgetting that he set some sort of NHL record for number of concussions, but seldom missing many shifts except that one night when Flames trainer Bearcat Murray got to him first and asked him what town he was in. When he answered "Vancouver" he was done for the night.

Those were the days when somebody got "his bell rung" and would often not know what town he was in.

One of the great quotes in hockey history was when Ted Green was coaching the Oilers and Shaun Van Allen didn't know who he was and Green told the trainer "Tell him he's Wayne Gretzky."

Nobody told Roy he's Bobby Orr.

Defensive coach Charlie Huddy said he's not only never seen anything like this in terms of the number of injuries, but the length of time they'll be out of the line-up.

"It's not like these guys are out for two or three games. It's so disappointing because this year we were really excited about our defence. But they keep going down."

They can't even dress Huddy, who is only a couple years older than Chris Chelios.

"I never filed my retirement papers. I ended my career in Buffalo. If it comes to that, we're in trouble," he said of the team which cost the Sabres $50 million to keep restricted free agent Thomas Vanek.

Head coach Craig MacTavish watched his remaining five defencemen all get the heebie jeebies as soon as Roy went down, handling the puck like a hand grenade all night, particularly Denis Grebeshkov, who played 25:40. Rookie Tom Gilbert played 27:05.

"It's too tough a game when you're not scoring to give goals away," said MacTavish.

Another disturbing thing, to many, was that nobody filled in Tootoo. Nobody went after him when Roy lay on the ice.

Tootoo stayed on for the next shift and nobody took him then either.

"He launched Matty," said MacTavish.

"But it was a pretty clean hit. It wasn't malicious. It wasn't a real dirty hit. I didn't expect any guys we had left to go fight him.

"We didn't have a lot of toughness in the line-up. The one guy we had was laying on the ice motionless."

It is important at times like this to remember that We Are All Canucks.

What's that? You've stopped drinking the Canuck Kool-Aid? Apparently, you are not alone. A large number of the 18,630 faithful who filled General Motors Place on Thursday night let the Canucks know how they felt after Vancouver dropped a 3-0 decision to the Nashville Predators.

Unfortunately, the news gets worse. In addition to the game, the Canucks lost two key defencemen as both Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo were sent to hospital with injuries that coach Alain Vigneault said figure to keep them both out of the lineup for an extended period.
Blueliner Sami Salo is helped from the ice Thursday night after taking a puck to the face at GM Place.

Bieksa suffered a deep cut to his right calf late in the second period while battling on the end boards with Nashville centre Vernon Fiddler. Late in the third period, Salo took a puck in the face off the stick of teammate Alex Edler. Vigneault said it appeared Salo suffered a broken orbital bone.

"It's easy to say both those guys are going to be out for a while now," said Vigneault, who added that the team will have to call up at least one defenceman from Manitoba.

That could be rookie Luc Bourdon, who is off to a good start in Manitoba.

The injuries capped what was an ugly outing by the Canucks, who at 5-8 are now three games under .500 for the first time since the 2001-02 season.

Nashville scored on its first two shots of the game on netminder Roberto Luongo and hung on for its first road win of the season. That's the same number of victories the Canucks have in seven outings this season at GM Place.

The Predators had scored a grand total of three goals in their previous five road games this season. They had two in the first eight minutes and change Thursday night.

Luongo didn't look particularly good on the first two shots he faced that turned into goals.

David Legwand's wrist shot from the right circle went through Luongo's legs at 6:16 of the first on a power play.

"It was just a bad goal," Luongo said. "He shot it through the D-man's legs and I was slow to react. It's probably one of my first bad goals of the season. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good time for it and it kind of hurt us a bit."

Two minutes later, Martin Erat also went five-hole on Luongo after he was sprung free on a breakaway when Salo missed the net with a shot and the puck bounced off the glass to J.P. Dumont, who found Erat behind the Vancouver defence.

The Predators managed just one other shot -- from centre ice -- the rest of the first period. The Canucks, who enjoyed two power-play opportunities, had 13 shots on Nashville goalie Dan Ellis.

Ellis stopped all 29 shots he faced to run his record to a perfect 3-0 this season.

"We're facing adversity right now and this adds to it," said Canuck centre Brendan Morrison. "This next stretch is going to tell a lot about what we're made of. We're very frustrated as a group. Winning is contagious, losing is contagious and you don't want to get in that mindset.

"Right now, we're not doing the things you need to do to win games. The lapses that we're having out there are ending up in the back of our net every single time."

The Predators only managed two shots on goal in what was a scoreless second period. The shots after two periods were 22-5 in favour of the Canucks, who failed to register a shot on two power-play opportunities in the second.

The Predators outshot Vancouver 10-7 in the third and iced the game with nine seconds remaining when Jason Arnott scored his fourth of the season to make it 3-0.

Vigneault juggled his lines in the third period to try and get something going and even split up the Sedin twins, who began the game skating with rookie Jannik Hansen.

"We were trying to get something going there and you have to try different things," Vigneault said. "That's what I was trying to do.

"We're facing major adversity right now and I think the only way to face that adversity is by sticking together," Vigneault continued. "We're going to call up players we're hoping are going to be able to help us and we're going to stick together and fight our way through this. That's all we can do."

Ellis registered the first shutout against the Canucks since Feb. 7 of last season when Patrick Lalime and the Chicago Blackhawks blanked Vancouver 3-0.

ICE CHIPS: Luongo has now lost eight of his 12 starts this season . . .The Canucks practise in Vancouver this morning before heading to Denver, where they meet the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

With demitra and gaborik back in the fold the wild get some more good news, Wild G Nik Backstrom appears ready to start his first game since a 5-3 loss Oct. 24 at Calgary. He has missed the past three games because of a sore groin. He is 2-2-1 with a 2.29 goals-against average all-time against Calgary. We will see if they can get back on the winning track after a big slump due to injuries.

I was at work yesterday afternoon and NESN was on one of the many televisions at the establishment. I watched the bottom line and saw GM Peter Chiarelli’s update about Patrice Bergeron. I actually received an update from a source within the Bruins organization at Thursday’s game and Chiarelli only confirmed that, which is marked in bold in the quoted portion.

According to Chiarelli, Bergeron has trouble sleeping, waking up once or twice each night. During the day, Bergeron wears a neck collar. He is sedentary and can watch TV, but becomes tired and distracted easily. This week, Bergeron had to be transported in a wheelchair from his home to the Garden for treatment. Bergeron, 22, lives nearby and usually walks to games and practices.

At the time hearing about the neck collar and wheelchair, I didn’t want to disclose any information that wouldn’t be public knowledge out of respect to Bergeron, the Bruins and my source.

“He was a fraction of an inch away from receiving an injury that was life-threatening,” said Chiarelli. “I was told at one point that it was pretty certain he had broken his neck. He’s very well-conditioned. He’s strong up top with the [trapezius muscle], shoulders, and neck. But for that, he probably would have broken his neck.”

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour walked out with another win, while everyone around the New York Islanders left with concern about Rick DiPietro.

A night of celebration ended with a banner raised along with fears as the star goalie was sent to the doctor after being struck in the right eye by the stick of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

Arbour came back to the Islanders one more time to coach the team he guided to four straight Stanley Cup championships in the 1980s for a 1,500th time in the regular season.

Miroslav Satan scored the tying and winning goals in the third period of New York's 3-2 victory over the Penguins.

"We had a bad five minutes in the second period, but otherwise, we played really, really hard," the 75-year-old coach said. "I talked a little bit, not a lot. It was nothing spectacular. I bit my tongue a little bit."

It would've been perfect if not for the injury to DiPietro, in the second season of a landmark 15-year contract with the Islanders. Team spokesman Chris Botta said initial reports showed the injury wasn't serious, and that the 26-year-old DiPietro was sent for an evaluation to confirm that diagnosis.

"I just asked him how he was and he said he was all right," captain Bill Guerin said.

Arbour was invited behind the bench to coach the team again and earned Islanders win No. 740 behind the heroics of Satan, who netted the winner with only 2:41 left when he put in a rebound of Marc-Andre Bergeron's shot.

"When we came back to the bench you saw a legend standing there," Satan said. "We knew we only had one chance to win the game for him."

Arbour retired after the Islanders were swept in the first round of the 1994 playoffs by the New York Rangers, but now he can leave on a winning note.

On his return he didn't move more than a few steps away from his spot to the left of regular coach Ted Nolan, whose idea it was to have Arbour return.

"Just by him being here won the game," Nolan said. "Al said he didn't know all the names of the players, but they sure knew him."

No one has coached or won more games with one team than Arbour. He left the second time when Crosby was less than seven years old. A banner commemorating his 739 previous Islanders wins was lowered after the game, replaced by one with his name and 1500 as streamers and confetti were shot from the rafters.

"I was very surprised at the end," he said.

Arbour held a lineup card in his left hand throughout and raised both arms in jubilation when Satan erased the remnants of a two-goal deficit 5:30 into the third period. Nolan did a spin and leap of his own.

That was nothing compared to how the whole bench jumped when Satan put the Islanders in front.

"It feels very good but I really didn't do that much," Arbour said. "It was all the players and coach Ted Nolan."

Trent Hunter got New York within 2-1 midway through the second after Ryan Malone and rookie Tyler Kennedy built the advantage for the Penguins, 1-2 on a four-game road trip.

Crosby assisted on Malone's goal to stretch his point streak to a career-best 12 games and then drew the ire of the sold-out Nassau Coliseum crowd when he struck DiPietro in the mask with his stick in the second period.

Crosby got four minutes for high-sticking. DiPietro, who had already left for the dressing room, was called back down the tunnel to show the referee he had been cut near the eye before retreating again.

Wade Dubielewicz was perfect in relief.

The Islanders couldn't convert then or on any of their six power-play chances.

Malone made sure the Penguins netted a man-advantage goal for the 13th straight game, every one they've played. Crosby went without a point in Pittsburgh's season-opening loss at Carolina, but hasn't been shut down since.

Malone has 12 career goals in 19 games against the Islanders - his most against any team. Both of Malone's NHL hat tricks came last season in games with the Islanders, as did his first goal in the league - scored in 2003.

After a straightforward first period, things turned strange.

Less than two minutes into the second, Kennedy - in his fourth NHL game since being called up last week - ripped a shot that appeared to sail into the top left corner behind DiPietro, but it was waved off by referee Eric Furlatt.

Gary Roberts threw his hands up in celebration with the rest of his Pittsburgh teammates, but play continued for another 1:51 until the next stoppage. Video replay confirmed Kennedy's first career goal and gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

THN.com is reporting that a prospective ownership group, led by local businessman David Freeman has an agreement in place to purchase the franchise from Predators' current owner Craig Leipold for about $193 million. Sources tell THN.com that Freeman has reached a deal with the city to rework the team's arena lease that will guarantee the Predators remain in Nashville until at least through the 2010-11 season.

Although the tentative deal has not been approved by either the Metro Sports Authority or Metro Council in Nashville, it is expected it will be ratified by both bodies within the next 30 to 45 days.

"From the draft of the deal that I saw, I didn't see anything in there that would offend a council member or a citizen of Nashville," city councilor Charlie Tygard told the Hockey News.

If the deal gets done, it must then be passed by the NHL's board of Governors via a vote by fax. The NHL is not expected to formally approve the deal until the final details of the transaction are complete and that may take some time.

The reworked lease eliminates the attendance component that forces the Predators to remain in Nashvill if the team averaged 14,000 per game in paid attendance. The new lease would allow the team to leave the city after it expires in three to five years if the team continues to struggle financially.

Freeman's group insisted that the arena's lease be changed in an effort to make Predators financially viable. The group was asking for $4.2 million a year in sales tax and set fee revenue and $7 million in arena upgrades, to use towards building a smaller concert venue that would seat between 3,000 and 4,000 people.

The Preds are currently averaging just over 14,000 per game, however just over 12,000 of that is paid attendance.

"It could be months not weeks" is how Bieksa's prognosis is now being described.

Bieksa was originally expected to miss eight weeks after sustaining a deep cut on his right calf from the skate of Predators' forward Vernon Fiddler during the Canucks 3-0 loss to Nashville November 1st. That cut that was deeper than the Canucks initially thought.

Bieksa underwent surgery to repair the damage and was fitted with a cast following the procedure.
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The belief is once the cast comes off, the Canucks blueliner will have to endure a lengthy rehabilitation process.

After a breakout campaign last season, Bieksa signed a three-year $11.25 million contract in the off season to anchor the Canucks blueline. He struggled in the early going with one goal and three assists in 12 games this season.

Meanwhile, Bieksa's teammate, Sami Salo is considered to be at least four weeks from returning.

Salo, who suffered a severely broken nose and cracked sinus cavity in the same game is having difficulty breathing due to swelling.

Lukas Krajicek, a third member of the Canucks defensive corps is likely at least two weeks away from returning after cracking a bone in his ankle last month.

Later mush head thanks for the stanley cups nice gesture on the donation though, HOF no freaking way...

LONDON, Ont. - Eric Lindros combined the announcement of his retirement as an NHL player on Thursday with one of the largest one-time donations ever received by the London Health Sciences Foundation.

The Big E is giving $5 million to the facility.

The money will support hospital programs including the Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic where Lindros was treated during his playing career.

''I believe it's because of this care that my career lasted as long as it did,'' said Lindros.

The 34-year-old centre was at the London Hunt and Country Club for a dinner honouring clinic co-founder Dr. Peter Fowler. Lindros was born at London Health Science Centre's Victoria Hospital.

''Eric's generosity is a tremendous boost to the dedicated team of researchers and health care workers at London Health Sciences Centre,'' said Fowler.

Lindros lauded Fowler's work.

''I believe him to be simply the best,'' said Lindros. ''Not only is he a world-class surgeon, but also tops as a teacher and inspiration to other doctors.''

Lindros quipped that, in moving into a new phase of his life outside the NHL, that he'd signed a five-year contract to play Monday nights in the Toronto area.

''I truly enjoyed my days of playing and look forward to the next chapter of my life,'' he said.

Lindros finished his playing career with 372 goals and 493 assists for 865 points, while being assessed 1,398 penalty minutes, in 760 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars. Numerous concussions and other injuries restricted him to an average of only 58 games a season over 13 campaigns, but he was an impact player when in his prime.

''I played with the best, I played against the best - it was a blast. It really truly was,'' he said. ''I enjoyed myself immensely.''

Lindros won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP in 1995.

Some of his best hockey was in Canada's colours. He was on two teams that won world junior championships, he was on Canada's victorious 1991 Canada Cup team, and he won gold (2002) and silver (1992) Olympic medals.

Former Flyers teammate John LeClair called Lindros a ''tremendous talent and a dominating player.''

''He had it all, size, strength and finesse,'' LeClair said in a NHL Players' Association release. ''It is unfortunate injuries cut his time in the NHL short, but he had a great career and left his mark on the game.''

Matthew Barnaby also had high praise for his former Rangers teammate.

''Eric was the player that I hated to play against, but also the guy that I absolutely loved to play with,'' he said. ''In my opinion, Eric was the most dominating player I faced during my time in the NHL, and was part of the best hockey line I ever went up against.''

Lindros is the leading candidate to become the new ombudsman for the NHLPA.

''I think it would be a great job,'' he said. ''I think seeing the likes of Ted Lindsay and then later on Carl Brewer, there's so many who have stepped up for others in the association and in the National Hockey League.

“Wes Walz has requested and been granted an indefinite leave of absence from the team. We have no further details at this time.”

I wonder what the deal is?

He must be a swede. They all seem to bail out. I think the ducks ahd a guy named jonathan helmstrom. Buff average size guy but something went wrong and never came back to play during last years stanley cup year.

What is worse: The AFC WEST or the Pacific (West) Division? Ducks beat the Sharks in SO and takes over firs place! They dont play the rest of the weekend so they will drop but how weak is this play? Vancouver would fit nicely into this division. How many teams will make the playoffs, two? Schneider playing finally has made the ducks much better. Pez fav guy is out forever and having Teemu watching in the stands and not playing hasnt helped. Penner gone didnt help either. 24CB, Kings are in last but only 3 points out. Looking forward to the two home/away games with your kings. I say split.

What is worse: The AFC WEST or the Pacific (West) Division? Ducks beat the Sharks in SO and takes over firs place! They dont play the rest of the weekend so they will drop but how weak is this play? Vancouver would fit nicely into this division. How many teams will make the playoffs, two? Schneider playing finally has made the ducks much better. Pez fav guy is out forever and having Teemu watching in the stands and not playing hasnt helped. Penner gone didnt help either. 24CB, Kings are in last but only 3 points out. Looking forward to the two home/away games with your kings. I say split.

Vancouver keeps proving me wrong in my pickem league, i thought all the defensive injuries they have been having would hurt them. (i was wrong)